Watch a 3rd gen Dodge Ram 1500 storm down the quarter mile in the mid 12-second range with naturally aspirated Hemi power.
Thanks to the modern Hemi engine, the Dodge Ram 1500 (or just Ram 1500, after 2009) is one of the quickest and most powerful normal production half ton trucks sold in America. While there are the occasional high performance packages from other brands, when it comes to a high volume pickup – it is hard to outrun the Hemi Ram.
Today, we are featuring the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 formerly owned and raced by David Line. Line has since moved onto racing a Charger R/T, but back when his 2004 Ram 1500 was new, he did a little racing with his Hemi-powered, four wheel drive pickup. In stock form, this Ram 1500 was impressively quick, but David Line wanted far more from his truck than the 5.7L V8 could offer, so he pulled the original motor and replaced it with a 6.1L SRT Hemi which had been stroked from 372 cubic inches to 418 cubic inches. In addition to the built SRT Hemi, Line added a 3,200rpm torque convertor and a set of 4.56 gears to help get the 4,800 pound truck out of the hole a little quicker – and it worked.
In the video below, Line’s 2004 Hemi Ram takes on what I believe to be a Ford Maverick, but even with street tires, the 4WD half ton Ram walks away from the purpose built Ford – laying down a quarter mile time of 12.523 at 105.61 miles per hour.
That time is impressive, but on his best run, David Line’s 2004 Hemi Ram ran a 12.26 at 106.03 miles per hour and while we don’t have video of that record run, the video above shows just how well this 418 cubic inch Ram 1500 gets down the track.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
